New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-13
PRISONERS OF POVERTY.
WOMEN wAGE.wORKERs. THEIR IhADf's
"0"N AND THEIR LIVES.
uropHEPS IN NEW-YORK.
BY HELEN CAMPBELl-

,..sn., economists in general, with the add
-, number of those who for one purpose ana
a,hor turn over statistics Of labor nodded ap-
s..,,inclv as they gazed upon the heures Oh ohe
last General census, which showed that aiming '''o
myriad of workers in factory ana oVher oooup"
tons hut twenty four Thousand children were III
Guided. ,,x;.. ord
apyftv-s;x million and more inhabtants' ana
al sor;no ca we'll that only one fortleth paro Oh
one Of these millions is employed 700 carry Wv
;ization could hardly do more. sec ho" Hin' ~
loads among all civilized countries as 0he prooco'o'
- ,ho feeblo the guarantee Of strength for the
weakest No other country guards us chhoreh eo
yeu There have been errors, OF course ouch
enlightenment is not reached at bound, but the
lot 7 legislature made further impossible for
II fixed the minimum limit at which a child may
no employed in factories at thirteen years o e.
Rv thirteen child isn't likely to be stunted or
hurt by overwork. We protect all classes and bhe
weakest most
Thus the political economist who stops at fig
ares and considers any further dealing with the
question unnecessary. And If the law were OF
stringent application If parents told the truth rs
TO ave- and if the two ms ectors who arc supposed
to suffice for the thousands Of factories In the
State of New-Yorl1 were multiplied by fifty, there
might be some chance of carrying out the pro-
of words, evaded daily a bit of legislation which
like much else bearing with 1t apparent benefit
proves when analyzcd to be not much more than
sham The law applies to factories only IL does
not touch mercantile establishments or trades that
arc carried on In tenement houses, and IL Is WIN
these two latter forms of labor that We deal to-
day. In such labor in the city of New-fork nine
thousand children under twelve years OF age are
doing their part toward swelling the accumulation
Of wealth, each adding their tiny contribution
to the great stream of what we call the prosperity
of the nineteenth century. Thus far their share
in the trades we have considered has been Ignored
Let us see in what fashion they make part OF the
system.
For q large proportion of the women visited
among whom all forms of the clothing industry
were the occupation, children under ten, and
more often from four to eight, were valuable as
sistants. In a small room on Hester-st woman
on work on over,lls-for the making OF which she
received one dollar dozen-said:
IL couldn't do as well If it wasn't for jimmy
and Name there. Name has learned DO sew on
buttons first-rate, and jimmy is just beginning
to learn. I'm alono to-day, but most days three
of us sew together here and jimmy keeps right
along Wen do better yet when Name gets
bit older"
As she spoke the door opened and woman
with an enormous bundle of overalls entered and
sat down on the nearest chair with a gasp.
"Them stairs is kiln she said. ats lucky
I've not to climb 'em often"
Something crept forward the bundle slid
to the floor and busted itself with the string
that bound it.
"IIere you. jimmy said the woman don't
you be fooln' What do you want anyhow
The something shook back mat of thick hair
and rose TO its feet tiny child who in size
seemed no more than three, but whose countenance
indicated the experience OF three hundred
"It's the string want the small voice said.
"Me an Name was goin' to play with it,
"Tbere's small time for play said the mother
"therell be two pair more in minute or two.
an you're to see that Name does one an does 1t
good too. I'll find out why not
Name had come forward and stood holding to
the one thin garment which but partly covered
.Tinny's little bones. She too looked out from
wild thatch Of black hair, and with the same
expression Of deep experience, the pallid, hungry
little faces lighting suddenly as some cheap cakes
were produced Both Of them sat down on the
floor and ate their portion silently.
"Jinnys seven and Names going on six,
said the mother "but Jinnys the smartest. She
could sew on buttons when she WASN'T but much
over four. had five then. but the Lords took
'em all but these two. / couldn't get on If it
wasn't for jimmy
jimmy looked up but said no word and as l
left the room settled herself with her back
against the wall. Name at her side, laying the
coyeted string at hand for use il any minute
for play arrived In the next room half-lghted
like the last. and if possible even dirter Jewish
tailor sat at work a coat and by him Oh the
6oor a child Of five picking threads from
other
Meta is good help he said after a word or
bwo. $50 fast as 1 finish, she pick all the
threads. She not TO 20 away-she stay by
ne always to help"
SIS she the only one ?"
."But one that sells papers Last year is five.
but mother and dree are gone with fever II is
many that die. What will you? II is the will
Of God"
On the floor below two children OF seven and
eight found also sewing buttODs-in this
case for four women who had their machines in
one room and were making the cheapest order OF
corset -cover, for which they received fifty cents
dozen, each one having five buttons 1t could
not be called oppressive work, yet the children
were held there to be ready for each one rs COM
petcd and sat as such children most often do, 81
lent and half asleep waiting for the next demand.
ITS hard on en-" one Of the women said
"We work till 10 aud sometimes later. but then
they sleep between and can't and they get
the change Of running out for q loaf of bread or
whatevers wanted ana we don't Stir from the
machine from morning till night. I've got two
o. me own, but they're out peddling Matches"
On the lower floor back Of the small grocery in
which the people Of the house bought their food
supply, wiltcd half-decayed vegetables. meat
OF the cheapest order, broken eggs and stale fish.
tailor and two helpers were at work. girl
OF nine or ten sat among them and picked threads
or scwed on buttons as needed; haggard,
wretched-looking child who did not look UP as
the door opened. woman who had conc down
the stairs behind me stopped moment, and as l
passed out said:
IF there was O law for him Ia have h;, 80,